708 THYMEL^ACE^. (MEZBRETM FAMILY.) 



uplifted valves — Flower perfect or dioecious, rerigoiiium 

 4:-6-fid or -parted. Stamens inserted at the margin of a perig_y- 

 noiis disk, as many as sepals and opposite to them, or 2-6 

 times as many, arranged in rows. Anthers adnate to filament, 

 introrse or extrorse, 2-4-celled, Ovule pendulous, anatropous. 

 Style 1. Embryo orthotropons. Albumen 0. 



L.AfJRUS, L. Laurel. Bay Tree. Qlidr. 



Flowers dioecious, umbelled, slieathed by hooded, deciduous bracts. 

 Perigonium 4-parted, the divisions deciduous. Staminate jloicers. 

 Stamens 8-13, in 2-3 rows, the filaments with two glands about middle. 

 Anthers introrse, oblong, 2-celled, connective broad. Pistillate fiowers. 

 Stamens 4, sterile, the filaments with a shield-shaped gland on either 

 side at tip. Ovary with 1, pendulous ovule. Style single, stigma 

 obtuse. Fruit a 1 -seeded berry, borne on the truncate base of the 

 perigonium. Seed ascending on a funicle from the base of the fruit, 

 and adnate to the testa above, pendulous. Albumen 0. Cotyledons 

 large, oleaginous, radicle included, superior — Evergreen shrubs with 

 alternate leaves. 



L<. iiobilis, L. 5- Laurel. Bay Tree. Glidr. 3 to 6, glabrous. 

 Leaves short-petioled, glossy at upper surface, paler at lower, coriaceous, 

 oblong to lanceolate, acute or obtuse, somewhat wavy - margined. 

 Staminate flowers in lateral or terminal umbels or often in dense, manj'- 

 flowered cymes; i^istillate in few, branched, lateral, axillary umbels or 

 small cymes; scales of involucre glabrescent; sej)als obovate, obtuse; 

 drupe elliptical, as large as an Isabella grape, black — April to June — 

 Thickets and woods ; coast to middle mountain zone. 



Order LXXXIX. TMYMEI^^ACE^E, Meissn. 

 (Mezereum Family.) 



Shruhs or herhs, with entire leaves, perfect or pfolyga- 

 inous-diccclous fiOioers^ a regular^ ^-cleft perigonium^ vnth 

 lohes inibricated in the hud, 8 stamens, and a free, 1-celled, 

 1-ovided ovary — Perigonium corolla-like, tubular-fiiunel- 

 shaped. - Stamens inserted on the calyx-tube or at its throat. 

 Ilypogynous scales manifest or 0. Ovule pendulouSj anatro- 

 j^ous ; style 1, stigma capitate. Fruit dry, or an indehisceiit 

 berry. Embryo straight, radicle turned toward hilum. 

 Albumen 0. 



1. DAPilsnE. ;r Leaves leatliciy, elliptical to spailmlate. Flowers .01 long or more. 



2. THYMEL^A. a Leaves fleshj^ minute, ovate to oblong. Flowers small. 



3. LTGIA. 5 © Leaves linear to filiform. Flowers small. 



1. I>APH:^^E, L. Daphne. 



Flowers perfect. Perigonium funnel-shaped, 4-cleft, deciduous, 

 throat destitute of scales. Anthers 8, nearly sessile, oblong, inserted 

 in two rows at the throat, nearly included. Style terminal, short, 

 stigma capitate. Berry fleshy or rather dry. Seed nut-like. Albumen 

 0. Embryo fleshy — Shrubs with leathery, entire leaves. 



